England’s aggressive style of batting, often referred to as ‘Baseball’, has faced a stern test against the friendly pitches of Pakistan in the ongoing series. After a big win in the first Test in Multan, England have struggled to adapt to the conditions in Rawalpindi.
In the second Test, Pakistan dominated proceedings, winning by 152 runs. The local spin duo Noman Ali and Sajid Khan proved too much for the English batsmen, who struggled to score runs against their guile and accuracy.
England falter against Pakistan’s spinners
The trend continued in the third Test as England’s top order faltered again against Pakistan’s spinners on the opening day. Harry Brook, known for his aggressive approach, struggled to measure the ball and struggled to score at a good pace.
Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan couldn’t resist taking a dig at Brook, mocking his aggressive style with the catchphrase “No more Bazball”. The comment highlighted the challenges England’s batsmen have faced in adapting to the conditions.
Here’s the video:
“No More Baseball” 💀
Rizvan to Harry Brook#PAKvENG #PAKvsENG #CricketTwitter— Himanshu (@himanshux_) October 24, 2024
ALSO SEE: Sajid Khan dismisses Joe Root with his masterful bowling on Day 1 of PAK vs ENG 3rd Test
Pakistan defeat England by 267 runs
England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett put on a 56-run partnership for the first wicket, but after Crawley’s dismissal, the batting collapse began, with the visitors scrambling to add runs. Ollie Pope, Joe Root and Harry Brook fell quickly, followed by captain Ben Stokes.
However, Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson offered little resistance, scoring 89 and 39 runs respectively as they carefully guided England past the 200-run mark. After Atkinson was dismissed, Pakistan finished the innings quickly, Bowling England out for 267. Sajid Khan took 6/128, while Noman Ali took 3 wickets for 88.
